It's our nation's oldest city and a major tourist destination. And yet, do you know, when you get on I-95 in South Florida, you will see distance markers to Melbourne, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville... and yet you will not see a single highway sign about St. Augustine until you are six miles from the town limit!!!!

   City commissioners Monday called for more highway signs along Interstates 4 and 95, while City Manager John Regan said tourism and transportation officials will be gathering next week to study what to do with traffic once it's here.

Controlling bicycles, pedicabs too - City staff will prepare regulations for bicycles, pedicabs and smaller electric vehicles which commissioners said have become a danger to motorists and themselves.

   Richard Goldman, executive director of the Visitors & Conventions Bureau, prepared the signage resolution for Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, who's also current chair of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization.

   Regan, prompted by Commissioner Leanna Freeman - "Everybody agrees there's a congestion problem. We need to find a solution" - said much was learned from traffic planning for last September's Mumford concert, which included parking at the Northeast Florida Regional Airport and bus shuttling, but closer satellite parking is needed for peak weekends and busier periods.

   "We need to make transportation management a work priority," said Regan. He noted there have been discussions with Limelight Theater and other in-town locations for park and shuttle.

   "This is a good city to drive to, not drive through," said Sikes-Kline. "This is a walkable city. Don't bring your cars."

Urging that veteran organizations and the Military 450 Committee "be in on the original planning of anything that touches our military," retired Colonel Rik Erkelens acknowledged Monday the process of moving the War Memorial within the Plaza de la Constitución had gone too far to change the City Commission's mind and move it to the west garden of Government House.

   At that commission meeting, General Services Director Jim Piggott said a contractor has offered to donate his services to move the memorial a planned 35 feet toward the center from a corner of the Plaza where it's hidden by electric panels.

   And commissioners quickly endorsed Commissioner Don Crichlow's suggestion that a maintenance fund be established for the city's memorials and monuments. He suggested a third of the new franchise fee monies in the recently approved ticket increase for Old Town Trolleys could be committed. It could amount to $9,000 annually.

   Piggott said more than $10,000 in donations to cover anticipated cost of moving the War Memorial can be used for additional memorial plaques and the balance put in such a memorial fund. 

... Atlanta has had once-a-week trash/recyclables pick up for years now.  Recently, they switched the size of the recycle box to a 96-gallon cart. 

I assumed I would never fill it since we hardly filled the box, which I used to put on top of the 96-gallon cart to take down to the street.  Turns out our recycle cart is nearly full each week and the trash cart is usually about 1/3 full. 

Do you still want to limit the recycle cart to 65 gallons?  Also, our two carts being the same size makes it easy to take them both to the street at the same time.

  Online civic visioning

... Love the "George's Lab" idea.  If you look at it though, you will see that most things have less than 15 votes. I think we should try a lot of different avenues to get the public engaged.  

Just looked at the site again and see a different column had the most commented and 68 votes is pretty good. There might be some promise with a web site if properly publicized.

Web sites, social media, town halls, workshops, ad hoc committees - whatever it takes to offer enough varied opportunities for everyone to have a say. Only then will this whole process have meaning. 

... Doing the online vision process is more engaging, inclusive and real-time. It can also measure results, which is something that realistically takes a lot of time in government. Yet officials can support and take action in support of great ideas other than what those in City Gov't bring to the table. At the very least, if nothing gets done, people can get new leadership to get things done.

Live auction, famous artwork

Arin Ross Auctions' Rick Brandwein wields the gavel.

Promised are more than 150 custom framed and matted works of art, lithographs, etchings, serigraphs, animation cells, original signed oils, watercolors, lithographs, sports memorabilia and sculpture. 

Getting under way with a one hour preview at 5:30 pm, the live auction starts at 6:30 pm. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres, dessert & coffee and a cash bar, all benefitting the Yacht Club and its Youth Sailing Program.

Look for Chagall, Picasso, Neiman, Peter Max, Tarkay, Rockwell, Wyeth, Delacroix, Renoir ... expect  opening bids from $35-$300 with collector pieces ranging from $300 to several thousand dollars.

Tickets $10. Pre-show tickets available at the St Augustine Yacht Club.

1 year, 6 months, 28 days  to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary